The present invention relates to a pressure relief pad for use by persons having limited mobility which may lead to the formation of bedsores, and by persons suffering from bedsores or similar wounds which generate exudates.
When a person has limited mobility or is confined to bed for an extended period of time, poor or compromised circulation can cause blood and other bodily fluids to pool in certain areas of the body—usually at points or regions where a higher degree of pressure is generated between the body and the surface upon which it is resting. If the pressure is not relieved and if the fluids are not forced to move within the body, the area may become devitalized resulting in the breakdown of the integrity of the skin and leading to decubitus ulcers or bedsores, which may become infected.
Some traditional ways for promoting the healing of bedsores include cleansing the wound area, then covering the wound area with a moist dressing; debriding any eschar or surface necrosis, then covering the area with a moist dressing; or removing all devitalized tissue if the wound is extremely deep, covering the area with dry dressings until the bleeding is controlled, then covering the wound area with a moist dressing. As is known in the art, the wound area should be covered with a dressing that will keep the ulcer bed continuously moist but keep the surrounding intact skin dry. For wounds that do not respond to the above treatments, the American Medical Directors Association suggests protecting the wound area from the adverse affects of pressure, friction, and shear. For example, the wound area can be supported on a low-air-loss mattress or on an air-fluidized bed.